Crush
by Seductive Venus
Summary: Naruto gives her the best Christmas present EVER! -NarutoxHinata-


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**Crush**

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_I hung up the phone tonight, _

_Something happened for the first time, deep inside_

_It was a rush, what a rush_

_Cause the possibility that you would ever feel the same way about me_

_It's just too much, just too much_

Christmas Eve found Uzumaki Naruto on the phone.

He sat on the floor, wrapped up in a blue blanket and exhilaration. The conversation was so he couldn't help but laugh out loud. Blond hair gleamed in the firelight while his laughter bounced off the walls. It didn't matter that it was freezing because he felt warm inside.

Snow was falling all over Konoha. He was spending the annual occasion alone in his apartment. After haggling with the Hokage, he managed to dodge the latest mission so he could spend Christmas at home.

His new telephone was just installed that afternoon and he was having fun calling up his friends. He also made lots of prank phone calls. It was an activity that he missed while growing up... So he didn't waste time in calling friends and random people. Hanging up after the first word sent him to fits of laughter.

When he dialed a random phone number and when he heard her soft voice, he didn't hang up. Instead, he said hello.

_Why do I keep running from the truth? _

_All I ever think about is you_

_You got me hypnotized, so mesmerized, _

_And I just got to know_

Hearing his voice was like a dream. She didn't realize that she had brought the phone to her bedroom to hear him better. Her family members didn't even notice when she exited with the phone held to her ear.

Her feet padded over the warm carpets as she headed for the bed. Wiggling her toes, she lay back and smiled to herself. This was probably the best gift she'd ever received.

"It's cold, isn't it?" Naruto asked tentatively. She thought she heard him shiver.

"Yes, it is," Hyuuga Hinata answered shyly "It's snowing, I think."

"Wow! I like eating hot ramen while watching the snow. It's the best! Have you tried that?" His enthusiasm was contagious. She wanted to be swept away by his vivacity and brilliance. It was those qualities that drew her to him.

Hinata had always loved Naruto. Ever since she was a little girl, she dreamed of no one but him. His outgoing attitude, sunny nature and wild streak made him endearing. When he made unbreakable promises and shattered prejudice, she became even more convinced. Though everyone looked down on him, she saw his determination and will to succeed. His greatest dream to become a Hokage veiled his greater need to be acknowledged and admired.

As they grew up, she tried to muster enough courage to confess to her childhood crush. Everyone knew that she was shy, quiet and steady. Whenever she and Naruto crossed paths, she couldn't get past stuttering and blushing. It was embarrassing! How could he see her vibrant and bright personality when she can't even talk to him casually? It was a classic dilemma.

But so far, she wasn't getting any closer. Girls from all over the village had noticed the tall, blond fifteen-year-old boy with interest. She knew that they scented the biggest prey. She, of all people, knew the worth of such a prize catch.

Hinata dreaded the day when she would lose her chance on Naruto. Winning his love was as important as earning respect from her father and clan members. She got her inspiration from him. His determination and drive pushed her to test her limits, try her strength and gather more courage. He set the example on what she can do to move on from the weak shadow that she was. If only she could tell him!

Their friends knew and understood. It was an open secret. Everyone but Naruto knew about her inamorata. She wanted to _die_ when her elder cousin Neji told her that he supported her choice. Sakura, Ino and Tenten she could understand but _Neji_?

Watching other girls confess their love to Naruto with confidence and bravado wasn't helping either. But when he turned them down one by one, she got hopeful. Maybe they weren't his type… Her hopes withered when she saw the slowly growing fan club forming for Naruto. It's always one down and a thousand to go…

Hinata sighed. Will he ever find out about her feelings? There was no denying it anymore. She was hopelessly, irrevocably in love with Naruto.

_Do you ever think, when you're all alone, all that we can be, where this thing can go  
Am I crazy or falling in love, is it really just another crush  
Do you catch a breath, when I look at you, are you holding back, like the way I do  
Cause I'm tryin', tryin' to walk away  
But I know this crush ain't goin' away, goin' away_

Naruto wondered why he didn't hang up. Hinata was just one of his friends in their batch. She was the Hyuuga heiress, cousin to Neji and totally weird.

They weren't on speaking terms either because she'd usually go red and/or stutter when he spoke to her. Talking to girls like Ino and Sakura trained him to be as loud and open and articulate like them. With Hinata, he didn't know where he stood in the conversation.

Sometimes he'd catch her staring at him or trailing him on errand days. It didn't bother him at all. Somehow, knowing she's got his back made him feel safe and comfortable. She wasn't scary like his other stalkers because she'd usually let him find her and give him an apologetic smile. Then she'd walk away on the opposite direction as fast as her legs would allow her. It always made him smile.

Watching her run wasn't bad either. She moved so elegantly with long, toned legs in shorts or jeans. He couldn't help it when his eyes moved up from her legs to her cute butt. After all, wasn't he a vigorous hot-blooded male under his ninja clothes?

Hinata struck him as the shy girl-next-door. She was always wearing t shirts, jeans (or shorts), a hoodie and sneakers. Seeing her dressed in comfortable clothes made him want to get comfortable around her too. She also made him think that she was tough outside but delicate inside. He thought that she was the kind of girl he won't mind protecting but he was aware that she can fight for herself too.

Hearing her talk so freely on the phone calmed him. Maybe the faceless communication was comforting enough to allow freedom of expression on her part. He was astounded that he didn't know she was quite talkative and very charming. Their unexpected conversation let them lay down their guards and slip beyond the wall to comfort and familiarity.

Naruto decided that he would call her everyday.

Her sweet and soft voice would be a warm welcome after a long, hard mission. They can talk about anything. It would be very good, he thought if I opened up to someone new.

Thirty minutes of conversation later, he was smitten.

_Has it ever crossed your mind when we're hanging, spending time girl, are we just friends  
Is there more, is there more  
See, it's just a chance we've gotta take, cause I believe that we can make this into something that will last, last forever, forever_

Hinata was not about to give up without a fight.

He _called_ her. They were _talking_. It was on the phone but it didn't matter!

She wasn't the second top kunoichi for nothing. Sakura's lessons on seduction were going to bloom into fruition. Hinata was going to use this unexpected phone call to her advantage. If she couldn't get over her shyness in person, she'd do it in the phone.

So Hinata relaxed. She let her true self come forward.

Sakura always said that to seduce, a girl must be smart. Mental aptitude was a sexy quality. She was an intelligent, well-rounded young woman with a good education. If she could wind him up around her little finger by tickling his mind and brain, so be it. She showed Naruto that by entertaining him with trivia, humorous anecdotes and personal stories. His laughter and awed response meant that they were getting _somewhere_.

Hinata pinched herself to make sure that she wasn't dreaming. Starting a conversation was easy but keeping it was slightly harder. So she was amazed when she realized that she could carry her end without exerting any effort.

If only Sakura could hear me now, she thought smugly. Her witticisms and jokes could give the cherry blossom a run for her money.

"You're amazing," Naruto breathed. "I haven't laughed that much since Lee wore swimming trunks."

She blushed lightly.

"I'm sorry," he added.

"For what?" Hinata asked, slightly curious.

"For not talking to you before," Naruto said in a matter-of-fact tone.

Hinata giggled. It was a pretty sound like silver bells. "Don't apologize. It's my fault I can't talk in your presence."

"Why is that so?" he sounded curious now. "I've always wondered."

"It's because…" she trailed off. Her pearl-gray eyes landed on the pretty picture of snowy white rooftops outside the window. "Are you sure you want to know?"

"Positive," Naruto said firmly.

Hinata took a deep breath. It was now or never.

Would confessing her feelings make it any easier?

_Do you ever think, when you're all alone, all that we can be, where this thing can go  
Am I crazy or falling in love, is it really just another crush  
Do you catch a breath, when I look at you, are you holding back, like the way I do  
Cause I'm tryin', tryin' to walk away  
But I know this crush ain't goin' away, goin' away_

Naruto was curious. She was open and free then closed and mysterious. Her enigmatic attitude was putting him on the edge of his seat.

Sure, Hinata was slightly weird but in a cute sense. She doesn't talk around him, stared at him and gave him a bottle of medicine after a tough match. He doesn't know what to do with her; she unnerves him in a way he couldn't explain.

But he wasn't dense not to appreciate her efforts to succeed and her wide-eyed admiration of his feats. He wasn't blind and he certainly doesn't need the Byakugan to understand the deep longing and love in her eyes…

He frowned slightly. Where did _that_ come from? Thoughtful, he shuffled all of his memories of Hyuuga Hinata on his mind. She was always there. Her eyes always said the same message.

Naruto flushed. He felt the warmth start from his toes before flowing up to his body and then his cheeks. Hot and uncomfortable, he shifted slightly in his seat. The realization shook him. He wondered why he never saw that when it was staring at him on the face. Smiling guiltily, Naruto surmised that it was because he never bothered to look and pay attention to her.

Everybody knew that he respected her because she was as willful and determined as he was. She was a strong but silent force to be reckoned with in the battlefield. It just happened that she was painfully shy when it came to boys.

He scratched his head thoughtfully. If she was shy in general then why did she have such a good relationship with her teammates? Shino and Kiba were both manly men… Managing them with subtlety and finesse required a lot of effort and strength. He smiled in spite of himself. Maybe girls became shy around guys they truly like…

His smile widened. She had changed that part of herself. Talking to him as freely as she could tonight proved that.

Naruto didn't need to think twice to know that he liked her. It wasn't a silly crush. It wasn't even an infatuation. He liked her even before he knew it. Respecting her decisions and admiring her determination were strong foundations for that. He called her 'weird' because she confused and mesmerized him. If he didn't notice her, he wouldn't have bothered making that sort of comment that could be taken totally out of context when he meant that he was attracted to her enigma.

If he said that he liked her, would she say yes or no? Or would she slam the phone down, ignore him later or expect for a relationship?

He wished that it wasn't so complicated. Hinata was his puzzle now. Piecing her together, revealing more layers of her and finding her true heart was his goal now.

It doesn't matter if he misread his memories or assumed too much. He was a level-headed and mature adult who was sure of what he wanted. To tell her that he liked her- even if she didn't like him back- was his new mission.

_Why do I keep running from the truth, all I ever think about is you  
You got me hypnotized, so mesmerized, all I just got to know_

Tell him, her inner voice urged. What man would turn you down?

She had to smile. Yes, she had enough confidence to face herself in the mirror every morning and praise herself for waking up. It might've taken a long time but she was glad. Her journey through self-improvement and self-discovery had done a lot of good, thanks to Naruto's inspiration.

Hinata was aware of her good qualities. She acknowledged that she was pretty, smart and talented in her own way. Her position as the heiress to the Hyuuga clan meant she was notches above other potential rivals in terms of rank and ability. And add to that, her subtle seduction of her crush that she had cherished and loved for as long as she could remember.

If Naruto turned her down, she could show him that she could get up. Heartbroken or not, she was strong. She could at least prove to him that she deserved all of his respect.

She'd already learned to love herself. That important lesson wasn't something she could forget easily.

"Get ready for the best Christmas present of your life then," Hinata said cheerfully.

Naruto chuckled sexily. She trembled and gripped the phone tighter. Just imagining a possible future where they'd talk on the phone, go out on a date and even possibly share a mission made her light-headed. She wanted it _so_ much…

So she'll risk it. After all, what man could resist her?

This was it. This was her moment.

_Do you ever think, when you're all alone, all that we can be, where this thing can go  
Am I crazy or falling in love, is it really just another crush  
Do you catch a breath, when I look at you, are you holding back, like the way I do  
Cause I'm tryin', tryin' to walk away  
But I know this crush ain't goin' away, goin' away_

"I have a crush on you," Hinata said sincerely. Her heartbeats thudded on her ears. Face flushed, she waited impatiently for his response.

"Oh," he said.

She winced at his quiet tone. Was this the end?

Hinata took a deep breath. All or nothing, she repeated firmly. Denying her feelings was out of the question. The only way to resolve the uncertainty was to admit her deep-seated feelings.

"Merry Christmas," Naruto said gently. "I didn't realize it was so late…"

"Merry Christmas too," she murmured, numb. She didn't want to believe it. He was dismissing her feelings…

She heard his smile on his voice. "I guess this is our first Christmas together."

Hinata collapsed backwards on the bed. She wanted to scream in delight and ecstasy. If there was a heaven, this was it! Trembling so hard she couldn't hold the phone, she asked breathlessly, "Naruto-kun, does this mean…?"

"Let's go out tomorrow," he said enthusiastically "Have you ever had hot and spicy ramen on a cold snowy day? It warms you up from your toes up! I swear, it's the best thing…"

She giggled. Confessing to her crush was the scariest thing but with the biggest payoffs. With Naruto, she never knew where she stood but it didn't matter. He was her ground, her foundation. If his idea of a great date was ramen, she would gladly go with him.

Hinata closed her eyes and savored the new and heady feelings. Yes, this was definitely the best Christmas gift she'd ever received.

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**A/N:** YES! I've returned to the glorious NaruHina fandom!!! This is for mimerc and my cousin Nin who requested a sweet story to tide them over the holidays… I love you guys! I hope minimerc doesn't mind that he's got to share the love… XD

Also, this is for the Himitsu Desu people who are still very dear to my heart. Take care and God bless you!

By the way, _Crush _is not mine. It's sung by David Archuletta who is my future hubby and his people. XD


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